Entries in Glitter
(5)

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images(EAGAN, Minn.) -- The protesters known for throwing glitter on former presidential candidates Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich and Tim Pawlenty succeeded Wednesday in covering Mitt Romney with the colorful confetti right as he entered a warehouse where he was scheduled to hold a campaign rally.

After his son, Josh Romney, helped brush off some of the confetti from his blue blazer, Romney turned to the crowd and declared the incident a “celebration.”

“I’m happy for a little celebration, this is confetti. We just won Florida, we’re just going to win the White House next. This is confetti,” Romney told the crowd.

Romney’s wife, Ann, also helped brush glitter off Romney and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before he took off his blazer.

“Oh, I’ve got glitter in my hair,” he added, making light of the incident. “That’s not all that’s in my hair, I’ll tell you that. I glue it on every morning, whether I need to or not.”

The protesters who threw the glitter on Romney are suspected to be a part of Glitterati and Occupy Minneapolis, who have used the confetti to call attention to candidates who they believe do not support gay rights.

“Thank you, here’s a guy – wave your hand over there who threw the glitter. Hi there. How are you? Hi there. How are you? Good to see you, there you go,” Romney said as he took the microphone and security guards removed the glitter bomber.

At least one protester was not removed by security, however, because Romney was hit by another batch of glitter as he exited the event.

Romney’s private security was with him Wednesday, the last day before Secret Service will start offering the candidate and his family protection.

ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann got a warm reception from her home state on Saturday at a conference of conservative bloggers in Minneapolis, but a few gay rights protesters still managed to make her the latest victim of the glitter attacks that have already been waged on fellow GOP presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Tim Pawlenty.

Following her speech at the RightOnline conference Saturday morning, Bachmann had some glitter thrown on her as she made her way off stage to greet the audience.

After the brief glitter shower, the protester was swiftly removed by security.

"You can run, but you can't hide," the protester yelled as she was hauled off.

Meanwhile, Bachmann proceeded to work the ropeline, seemingly unfazed by the incident.

A few weeks ago it was Newt Gingrich who was doused in glitter by Nick Espinosa. Now it's Tim Pawlenty. The former Minnesota governor was reportedly showered in glitter at an event Thursday in San Francisco. Politico is reporting that two protesters outside the AHIP conference managed to get some pink glitter -- plus some confetti -- on Pawlenty as the Republican candidate was signing books.

"Tim Pawlenty, where is your courage to stand?" the protesters said, according to Politico's Kate Nocera. "Stand for reproductive rights! Stand for gay rights!"

When Gingrich was "glittered" last month, the incident occurred in Minneapolis, in Pawlenty's home state - and where he is set to speak on Saturday. Espinosa, a resident of Minneapolis who glittered Gingrich, told ABC News he disagreed with the former House Speaker's position on gay rights.

It is unknown at this time if Espinosa was involved in any way with Pawlenty's glittering in San Francisco.

Pawlenty is in San Francisco for a paid speech to health insurers, something the Democratic National Committee is taking issue with.

“Perhaps pocketing thousands of dollars in cash to give a speech outlining his plan to repeal health reform is a plus for Tim Pawlenty, but it won’t help seniors afford their prescription drugs or preventive care, it won’t help young people access health insurance and it won’t help people being denied coverage based on a pre-existing condition," Brad Woodhouse, DNC communications director, said in a statement.

Jessica McGowan/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Newt Gingrich may be picking glitter out of his hair for weeks, thanks to Nick Espinosa – a Minnesota-based activist who capped Gingrich's run of bad news stories by dumping two bags' worth of the shiny stuff on and near the presidential candidate and his wife Tuesday night.

Espinosa joined ABC News' Top Line on Wednesday to talk about his motivations and what else he might have in store for Gingrich and other politicians this campaign season. The point, he said, was for Newt to "feel the rainbow" -- that is, respect gay rights.

"I don't want anyone -- much less a serial adulterer -- telling, you know, telling people who they can and cannot love. You know, this is a man with two divorces and three marriages," Espinosa said.

"I think that glitter is a lot of fun, and I think that it got the point across -- it helped to bring attention to the issue," Espinosa said. "The way this week has gone for him, I think his campaign needed a makeover, and it was interesting the way his security reacted as well."

Espinosa said he was ushered out of the book signing organized by the Minnesota Family Council, though he wasn’t charged with any crimes.

As for what's next, he said: "We'll see what happens. I did use only two out of the three bags of glitter that I bought, but I think I might have to save that one for Newt Gingrich's next wedding."

Jessica McGowan/Getty Images(MINNEAPOLIS) -- The glitter culprit strikes again -- this time, dumping glitter on presidential candidate Newt Gingrich and his wife, Callista.

The Gingriches were participating in a book signing before the Minnesota Family Council’s annual dinner in Minneapolis when a protestor by the name of Nick Espinosa opened a box containing glitter and dumped it over the two of them.

“Feel the rainbow, Newt,” Espinosa said as he poured the box of glitter over Gingrich’s head. “Stop the hate. Stop anti-gay politics. It’s dividing our country and it’s not fixing our economy."

Espinosa, 24, worked with a non-profit helping unemployed people for two years before being laid off due to budget cuts. His encounter with Gingrich on Tuesday was in protest to Gingrich’s stance on gay marriage.

“Today, I invited Newt to feel the rainbow because he decided to bring his anti-gay politics to my state,” Espinosa told ABC News Tuesday night. “Newt has a long history of anti-gay politics and has chosen to focus on divisive social issues instead of working to fix our economy. I don’t think a free-will adulterer like Newt has any ground to stand up while telling others who they can and can’t love.”

Tuesday's incident wasn't the first prank-styled protest Espinosa conducted. His first protest came in 2009, when he infiltrated a Tea Party rally against immigration for which he developed a fake name, Robert Erickson, to obtain a spot on the speaker’s list. Espinosa delivered a speech focused on anti-European immigration in which he talked about Christopher Columbus and chanted “Columbus Go Home!”

Then, in July 2009, he dumped 2,000 pennies on Tom Emmer, a Republican candidate for governor of Minnesota, as a “tip” in protest against a proposal to cut wages for servers and bartenders.

So why did he pick glitter for Gingrich?

“I think glitter’s fun. I think it was a nice makeover for his campaign. And in fact if he needs any more glitter, I have some left over,” Espinosa said.﻿